After his last-place showing in the Iowa caucuses, Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch
abandoned his Republican presidential nomination bid on January 26 and
endorsed GOP front-runner George W. Bush for the nomination.

"I believe Governor Bush is the one who can unite the party and
bring back the White House to us," he said. "I think he has
the ability to do that. Now that I am out, I think Governor Bush is the
only person who can get things done."

Bush, the Texas governor, was the winner of the GOP Iowa caucuses. Bush
received 41 percent of the vote. Publisher Steve Forbes came in second
with 30 percent, and Alan Keyes, a former ambassador, took third with
14 percent.

In a memorable quote from one of the GOP debates, Hatch said Bush would
make a fine president after eight years as vice president in a Hatch administration.
But the senator said his confidence in Bush has risen as he has observed
him on the campaign trail.

"I like the fact he can reach across partisan lines," he said.
"I think we've got to have that in this country and certainly in
our party. We can't just take a narrow agenda and just narrowly be for
a few people in this country. We've got to be for everybody."

Hatch mustered a bare 1 percent in the Iowa caucuses, which were the
first votes cast in the 2000 presidential race. Hatch blamed his late
entry into the race for his poor showing in the caucuses.

"I got in too late. I regret having not gotten in earlier. I think
it would have made a difference. To be honest with you, most every Republican
was taken by the time," he said, adding that "I don't think
you can do it in a six-month campaign. I think I've proven that."

Hatch launched his quixotic campaign for the Republican nomination last
July. At that time, Hatch said that he had examined the rest of the GOP
field and found it lacking a candidate with the experience to be an effective
president.

Aides also said that Hatch was concerned that the other candidates in
the GOP field were not strong enough to step into the front-runner position
in the event of a stumble by Bush.

Hatch, 65, was hoping his four terms in the Senate would show voters
he had the experience to be president. He repeatedly said he was the only
candidate with the background to pick Supreme Court justices who would
uphold conservative principles, such as opposition to abortion.

He faced an uphill battle from the start. He joined a crowded GOP field
with better known candidates already well established and other candidates
already struggling as Bush kept gaining momentum.

He jokingly noted that he moved up quickly in the crowded field in the
months after he entered the race.

"Now some nitpickers may say that's because Lamar, Dan and Liddy
dropped out but I kind of liked the trend," he said, referring to
the candidacies of Lamar Alexander, Dan Quayle and Elizabeth Dole, who
dropped out due to Bush's strength and fund raising. "Unfortunately,
the other candidates are not doing their part to keep this trend."

Former House Democrat to join Republican caucus

Virginia Rep. Virgil Goode, who last week announced he was leaving the
Democratic Party, said on January 27 he will join the House Republican
Conference and participate in GOP policy sessions.

Goode, a conservative who has frequently voted with the Republicans since
his election in 1996, repeated that he will run as an independent in the
fall election and is not formally joining the Republican Party.

But Goode, at a news conference where he was surrounded by House GOP
leaders, said that in a vote to choose the next House speaker he would
pick Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., over Democratic leader Dick Gephardt
of Missouri.

Hastert, he said, is "more likely to restrain federal spending"
and work to save the Social Security system.

Republicans rewarded Goode's move by awarding him a seat on the House
Appropriations Committee, coveted by lawmakers seeking to determine how
the federal government spends its money.

Hastert said his party is "lucky to have Congressman Goode's further
help in moving our agenda forward."

Goode's decision to participate in Republican caucuses, where the party
plots strategy and sets policy, was a setback for Democrats in their drive
to regain a majority in the November election.

The Republicans hold 222 seats in the House to 211 for the Democrats.
In addition to Goode, there is one other independent, Rep. Bernie Sanders
of Vermont, a socialist who usually votes with the Democrats.

"Conservative" group calls for break-up of Microsoft

Microsoft should be sliced into smaller companies as punishment for years
of intimidating rivals in the computer industry, a conservative think
tank said on January 27.

The Washington-based Progress and Freedom Foundation suggests that US
District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson transfer ownership of Windows into
three competing firms that would each have full rights to the product.

PFF, which receives funding from Microsoft arch-competitors including
Sun Microsystems and Oracle, said a fourth company should get rights to
sell applications software, such as Word and Office.

Jeff Eisenach, PFF president, said the plan would free MS from continued
judicial oversight.

"The only restriction would be that the operating systems companies
couldn't do exclusive deals with the application company because that's
essentially recombining the company," Eisenach said.

PFF is somewhat unusual among conservative think tanks because it has
taken an aggressive anti-Microsoft position during the trial. Other conservative
or libertarian groups, including the Cato Institute, Citizens Against
Government Waste, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and Americans
for Tax Reform, have criticized the Department of Justice lawsuit.

In November 1999, PFF published a defense of its position that said that
those other groups are also trying to undermine antitrust laws.

Robert Levy, an analyst at the free-market Cato Institute, said PFF's
proposal would cause more problems than it solves. The Cato Institute
receives some funds from Microsoft.

"It's got all of the problems of the vertical divestiture compounded
by the problems of the horizontal divestiture. They tried to get around
the problems, but I think they compounded them," Levy said. "Vertical
divestiture is going to require ongoing decisions about whether a product
is part of the operating system or an application. Think of how difficult
[that will be]."

In the paper, analyst Tom Lenard said that of the possible remedies Judge
Jackson could impose, the four-way breakup was the least onerous.

"The major cost of the hybrid solution is the disruption associated
with creating three new operating system competitors out of one existing
monopoly. This cost is not trivial. But it is also temporary. The benefits
to consumers of reinvigorated competition and innovation throughout the
computer sector will be long lasting and well worth this short-run cost,"
Lenard wrote.

Jackson has not ruled that Microsoft has violated antitrust laws. If
he does, he will consider what remedies are appropriate.

Clinton calls for "tax cut," new gun controls

U.S. President Bill Clinton called for a major new gun licensing program,
a $350 billion tax cut, expansion of federal health care programs and
new environmental programs during his State of the Union address on January
27.

Clinton used his eighth State of the Union address to outline a long
list of proposals, one the White House had characterized all week as designed
in part to show he is still a viable chief executive with substantive
work to do. The president took a few moments to bask in the accomplishments
he felt his administration had made, but he spent far more time suggesting
dozens of programs.

"The state of our union is the strongest it has ever been,"
Clinton told the joint session of Congress -- a none-too-subtle change
from a tradition of most presidents, who start their addresses by claiming
the state of the union is "strong."

"We are fortunate to be alive in this moment in history. Never before
has our nation enjoyed at once so much prosperity and social progress
with so little internal crisis and so few external threats," Clinton
said. Noting that "next month, America will achieve the longest period
of economic growth in our entire history," Clinton said the challenge
was to expand that growth to those who had not yet participated in its
benefits.

Aides have said all week that Clinton, in presenting the State of the
Union address of his final year in office, would give an address short
on nostalgia. That was the case, as Clinton offered something for many
constituencies, from lower-income families to married couples affected
by the so-called "marriage tax" to people seeking health care
coverage to those who seek an overhaul of the campaign finance system.

Clinton was interrupted 128 times for applause during his 89-minute address
-- his longest yet, beating his 1995 address by eight minutes.

Likely to get the most immediate attention is Clinton's tax cut proposal,
which would be phased in over 10 years and is smaller than many Republican
proposals. Competing tax cut plans have become political fodder in Congress
and on the presidential campaign trail.

Clinton suggested expanding the earned income tax credit, which benefits
lower-income working families. "Their children should not be in poverty,"
he said. He also offered tax credits for businesses who invest in inner
cities and rural areas.

"This is not a Democratic or a Republican issue. Giving people a
chance to live their dreams is an American issue," he said.

Under Clinton's gun control plan, potential handgun buyers first would
have to obtain a license showing they have passed a criminal background
check and have received gun safety training. Although states could choose
not to participate, a federally approved gun dealer or a federal entity
would issue licenses in those states.

The president also proposed spending $280 million for 500 new inspectors
and agents in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, along with
more than 1,000 federal state and local gun prosecutors. The president
also said the money would be used to help develop so-called smart guns,
which prevent anyone other than their owners from firing them.

The president said Congress should make "common sense gun legislation
the very next order of business," and he said existing laws must
be better enforced -- a regular complaint of gun rights activists.

As has been the case in his past State of the Union addresses, Clinton
offered a long list of new programs and overhauls. He proposed:

-- Spending $400 billion from the anticipated federal surplus to keep
Medicare, the federal health care program for the elderly and disabled,
viable through 2025. Clinton also wants to spend $110 billion over the
next 10 years to improve public access to health care, mostly through
expanding federal programs to cover an additional 5 million Americans.
He also suggested spending $28 billion over the next 10 years for $3,000-per-person
tax credits to help pay for long-term care, $19 billion on biomedical
research, and $175 million on HIV and AIDS treatment, education and preventative
outreach programs.

--Spending $30 billion over 10 years on tax relief for college students
and families; and spending an additional $5 billion for after-school and
summer school programs for children.

--Several new environmental programs, including $1.3 billion to help
family farms protect their water supplies and $30 million for wetlands
protection.

--A variety of civil rights-oriented programs, including money for expansion
of the Justice Department's civil rights division, as well as $27 million
to fight employment practices that discriminate against women.

--Providing an additional $3 billion in science and technology research.
"We owe it to our future," Clinton said of the proposal, which
he said was the largest in a generation.

--Closing the so-called digital divide between those affluent enough
to own a computer and those who do not. Clinton suggested new tax incentives
designed to provide greater computer access.

--Congressional approval of normalized trade relations status for China.
"It will plainly advance the cause of peace in Asia and promote the
cause of change in China," said the president, who is pushing for
Chinese entry into the World Trade Organization.

But there was much more -- dozens of proposals in all, spun out at a
rapid pace. "Never before have we had such a blessed opportunity
-- and therefore such a profound obligation -- to build the more perfect
union of our founders' dreams," Clinton said.

At one point, Clinton made a whopper of a non sequitur at the vice president's
expense. The president said repeatedly, "Last year, the vice president
launched a program to make our communities more liberal" when he
meant to use the word "liveable."

In the Republican response, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Bill Frist
of Tennessee outlined a Republican agenda that touched on many of the
same topics as Clinton, but with different proposed solutions.

Discussing education proposals, Collins said, "The debate in Washington
is not about money. It is about who makes the decisions." Frist,
a doctor, called on Clinton to "give us a health care plan that includes
choice and security."

10,000-shovel parade protests Forest Service roads policy

Disgruntled Westerners shipped thousands of shovels to northeast Nevada
to protest federal environmental policy and lend support to residents
feuding with the U.S. Forest Service over a washed-out road.

About 200 makeshift floats and other vehicles were entered in a parade
on January 29 to carry an estimated 10,000 shovels down Elko's main street
to a rally at the county courthouse.

"It has taken on a life of its own," said O.Q. "Chris"
Johnson, a local businessman who helped organize the Jarbidge Shovel Brigade
Parade. "It's bigger than the Fourth of July."

Ranchers, loggers, miners and small business owners donated the shovels
in a show of support for locals' efforts to rebuild the South Canyon Road
along the Jarbidge River in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. The
Forest Service has fought their efforts, saying the road work and erosion
would harm the river's population of bull trout, an endangered species.

Most of the shovels were delivered in a caravan from Montana, where loggers
and mill workers long have been at odds with the Forest Service.

"Somehow, sending a shovel seems symbolic. Maybe it will make a
difference," said Cary Hegreberg of Helena, Mont., executive vice
president of the Montana Wood Products Association.

"Most people understand shovels are a symbol of work. That's something
we have in common -- we want to work," he said.

Elko County Commissioner Mike Nannini, who helped organize the parade,
said shovels arrived by mail from as far away as Rhode Island and Maryland.

"It's just a grassroots deal. It's not just the West anymore. These
people are saying 'No more,"' he said.

The Jarbidge River, in a remote canyon near the Idaho border, is home
of the southernmost population of bull trout in North America.

The 1.5-mile road leads to a trailhead for a wilderness, and provides
vehicle access to fishing and camping along the river.

The Elko County Commission claims the Forest Service has no jurisdiction
over the South Canyon Road along the river because the road was there
before the Humboldt National Forest was established in the early 1900s.

Johnson and others threatened to rebuild the road by hand, but a federal
judge in Reno issued a court order banning any work on the road in November.

The controversy has prompted a congressional field hearing and has become
a lightning rod for criticism of President Clinton's proposal to protect
millions of acres of roadless areas in national forests.

Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn, a Republican, offered his support for the protest
in a letter to organizers on Friday.

"Since the vast majority of the public lands are in the West, perhaps
the bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., simply don't understand the impact
their decisions have on our western way of life," Guinn said.

One of the protesters was Bob Secrist of Elko.

"I'm in the firewood business and the Forest Service is giving me
a bad time. They are supposed to manage the forest but they are just shutting
it down and locking it up," he said.

Reform delegates vote against leadership review

Canada's Reformers delivered a strong endorsement of Preston Manning's
leadership on January 30, giving him the freedom to lead the party into
a broader right-wing political coalition.

Seventy-five per cent of delegates at Reform's annual assembly voted
against holding a leadership race after Manning told the weekend gathering
he'll pursue merging Reform with other like-minded conservatives into
one party.

"I think it's a mandate," Manning said shortly after the leadership
review. "I told the party members last night very clearly the direction
in which I wish to lead."

A weak vote for Manning would have thrown into question support among
the rank-and-file for his initiative, now formally called the Canadian
Alliance. He linked the two a few weeks ago when he told members he would
ultimately resign as leader if they didn't support the project in a coming
referendum.

With the leadership hurdle successfully cleared, Manning will now focus
on the all-important vote.

The 70,000 party members will be asked to adopt the constitution and policy
framework of the Canadian Alliance and be absorbed into the organization.
A two-thirds majority is necessary for it to pass.

There was a very vocal minority of delegates at the weekend convention
who railed against the idea and its architect.

"We have Reformers pitted against Reformers and ridings split in
half and there will be lawsuits likely down the road -- why did we need
this?" asked an angry Marlene Davey of Langley Abbotsford in British
Columbia.

Some alliance sceptics cautioned that the show still ain't over.

"They still have the final vote from the membership," said Reform
MP Darrel Stinson.

"You have to remember that there's a representation of the membership
here, but it's only a small percentage."

Manning said he'll be on the road in coming weeks to sell the alliance
across the country. He will also have to mend bridges with members of
his caucus who challenged his vision.

"Reformers, whenever we come to these junctures, have always in the
final analysis been willing to push the envelope and take the next step.
But I don't want to take that for granted so we're going to do all we
can to promote it."

Manning could face another leadership challenge in June for the helm of
the proposed new party. Some of the movement's supporters say a new leader
is necessary to make inroads in Ontario and the East.

The Reform assembly took place on the heels of the United Alternative
convention, the former name of the movement now know as the Canadian Conservative
Reform Alliance Party or Canadian Alliance for short. The long name has
the unfortunate acronym of CCRAP, which is bound to spark endless jokes
in the House of Commons.

The UA gathering hammered out policy and a constitution for the proposed
party, which adopted mostly Reform principles, with a few notable exceptions:
support for official bilingualism and a flat 17 per cent rate of income
taxation.

Reformers didn't mince words as they discussed the ramifications of joining
the Canadian Alliance.

Cliff Fryers, Manning's chief of staff, said delegates should keep their
eyes on the big picture.

"It is the travel and the seeking of a destination together with
an ever-expanding number of travel companions that is relevant, not the
vehicle," said Fryers.

"The people of Canada for whom we have been fighting care little
for names or organization theory."

After several speeches urging members to vote in favour of the initiative,
some delegates complained they weren't hearing both sides of the story.

An overwhelming majority supported the call for an anti-alliance person
to be given an opportunity to address the convention. Ten minutes was
eventually allocated for a volunteer to take the floor.

"(The United Alternative) did not come from the grassroots -- seven
or eight or 10 guys sat around in Winnipeg one day and said we need a
new party if we're going to give Preston another chance at the big prize,"
said Ontario Reformer Roland MacDonald.

"The only way we can do it is to hijack the Reform party, stab it
in the back, push it in the grave and start a new party."

Even some delegates who said they would support the Canadian Alliance
griped about the way it had been managed by a small group of provincial
Tories and Reformers.

A perception that the proposed party will be a more centralized organization
has been one of the stumbling blocks.

"This UA is going forward and I'm going to support it but we don't
hold the moral high ground in terms of grassroots populism," said
Alan McDonnell, of Burnaby B.C.

Officials at the Reform convention reiterated that should Reformers turn
down the Canadian Alliance option, that movement would be disbanded within
36 months.

If they support the UA, Reform would simply be no more.

A wistful Deborah Grey, the first Reform MP elected to Parliament, said
she'll keep her Reform 1 licence plate.

"I'm still a Reformer, but I'm moving on," Grey said. "It's
just a bigger licence plate on a bigger bus."